(no subject)
It was a cool early winter's eve as I walked back to my dorm and realised that I had not written here in ages. I had thought about it many a time, but never actually sat down and wrote. So, I decided after nearly two months that an update is more than passed due, agreed? So many things have been happening in my life that I usually have not the time to write this; school, social life, incidents with an RA and visiting family. I suppose I can sum up some major events in a few words.
I think my music has completely absorbed my life, a feeling I haven't had since honours band in high school. That is to say that I didn't have music absorbed last school year, but....the emotions weren't there. I was a new student, taking my first baby steps in the adult world of university. And my first year was a rocky one, so much that I put serious consideration into dropping music completely and keeping only as a hobby. But something changed. I started feeling more confident in my playing, and I feel as though the plateau of last year has left. I can sense my minor improvements, and I believe Dr. H can as well. He has been telling me off and on this semester that I'm sounding good and starting to develop musicianship. This only happened maybe three times, so I am in shock whenever those words, or something similar is uttered. Being an artist of sorts, I know I will never truly be satisfied with the product. I need to practise more: yes of course, I need to attain better counting skills: always, but this will come in time. I have improved enough to be assigned to do a noon-time recital piece on Wednesday. I should explain to Non-WSU people that every Wednesday, at 12:00 p.m. a group of instrumental and vocal majors must perform a piece for the music majors, minors, faculty and general public who sometimes filter in. When I was told that I would be doing one, I felt a surge of pride and trepidation. I knew I was slowly making progress but never thought I'd be ready for such activity yet. This last Tuesday, I did a run through of my concerto and Dr. H didn't say anything for about a minute. Then told me he felt I would be just fine as long as my nerves didn't take control once I hit the stage. I've decided that all I can do is my best and that will be all I'll ever be able to do. Piano is also going well. Tuesday afternoon, Mrs. M told me that even though I'd only had class piano for 3 semesters, I sound like I've been studying for a few years and really wants me to continue studying with her once I pass my piano proficiency exam. I realise that last year I complained about her a great deal, but as I've grown accostomed to her, she's really not that bad. Yes, there were times where she was treating us as children and such, but now I'm getting the respect of an adult and as we got to know each other, things have been going a lot better and I am seriously considering continuation of my study of the piano. As well as practise, gamelan orchestra and regular band materials, there have been many recitals attended, giving me my weekly dose of classical observation. It really is a good feeling, I'm thriving in this ever moving environment. I've also been working for the music department as an usher for events for $20 a gig. I know $60 for the semester isnt much, but it's a little pocket change for my upcoming holiday.
The incident with the RA is a soap-opera-esque one. As many of you know, I have back problems, particularly with the sciatic nerve. Most of the time I'm okay, but when it gets to me, I need to take a stronger pain killer to assist me in functioning. The downside to that is the stronger pain medications is that most of them have narcotics within them. Some react, some don't. I am one who most definitely reacts, in a most (comical to some) giggly silly way. The weekend before the 4th October our dorm floor had won the volleyball match greatly. So, their floor decided to challenge us for a rematch. Unfortunately, the way their RA went about it was most irritating.
It was after quiet hours, and having taken my pill a few hours earlier with a large quantity of water, and it being 11:30 p.m., Guy and I made our way to the bathroom to do the brush teeth wash face and pee thing before bed. There was a girl being incredibly loud and obnoxious and hanging stuff up all over outside our room. When I exit, I notice that this huge ass poster is blocking the hallway. So, I went to move it and the girl starts saying something about not moving it till morning so everyone can see it. I told her "No, I can't bend to get around it, I'm moving it JUST a little so I can pass." And of course, she started squawking at me about it. Not wanting to be arsed, and being totally high and loopy off the meds, I gave a wave of my hand and mumbled "Eh, you smell like poo, go away." So I sit down on the futon, taking off my shoes and begin changing into bedclothes when the door gets a loud knock. Guy, knowing my condition, tells me he'll get the door and just get ready for bed. He opens the door to the RA, who walks in and, obviously on a power trip, goes "Hi, you DO know I'm an RA right?" "No, I didn't sorry." "Well, I have to confront you on these things, watch who you're talking to next time." I'm sorry, but the RA's look like everyone else in this damn building. For someone who is never here and doesn't even know the names of all his neighbours, that was rather pretentious of her to assume I know. Guy said "Excuse me, can I talk a minute miss?" And she got snippy and went "No, good night." and stalked off. So Guy followed her and stopped her and forced her to listen. The next week he got an incident report for being non compliant, which is bullshit. You're supposed to be able to talk to the RAs if you have a problem and the way she handled this was not right at all. So, after he came in and went to bed, there was screaming and pounding at midnight. Guy went to see what went on, and apparently the freshman who make up most of the floor didn't like the posters for a rematch. So they took a sharpie and wrote "Go fuck yourselves, we won! <3 the Goon Squad" (the goon squad is the floor nickname) and posted them all over that RA's hall. The new hall director who moved in that week had a kaniption fit and came storming up, took almost everyone's id and everyone got incident reports. I got my letter almost two months after the fact, and I wound up needing a meeting with hall director. Fortunately, she totally understood and was quite courteous, considering based on what I've heard she was incompetent at her job. I was cleared and it was a nice meeting considering the circumstances and the fact that although I have documentation all over this damn campus, my name was still misspelt.
Other minor events have occured as well. Going to a few social gatherings with some new friends, spending time with old ones and finding my niche in the campus community once more. Another not so pleasant event occurred but I don't feel like talking about it here. The day after that, I decided on a whim to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra performance. It was Absolutley AMAZING. Before the concert, one of the band founders presented a check to the community with a few dollars back from every ticket to give to the struggling families in the area to make winter more bearable. Then the concert itself began and was just incredible. The musicians played the hell out of their instruments, the vocals were on perfect pitches and intervals and I just sat back in awe. Special notice went to the lead violin player, a woman from the UK playing an Electric Violin. She played the hell out of that instrument. One song in the second half of the show contained a portion that was the flight of the bumblebee and she played it as though it was like Mary had a lamb. VERY impressive. The first half of the show was their mini-rock opera entitled "Christmas Eve and other stories" then the second half was other holiday music and songs from Beethoven's Last Night (Classical you can head bang too LOL) and stuff from an upcoming album. Afterwards, Ben, Cheyenne and I went to a late dinner at Perkins and another good time was had. The last hurrah before finals start and the stress of end of semester comes.
So, this is my life right now: Study, Practise, Study,Practise and occasionally socialise when a small amount of time permits. Classes end in a week, Music finals the week after, commencement and then winter holiday. I'm spending a majority of it with the family, then taking the last week of break to visit another net friend, this time not to NYC like my first time, or Minnesota for the others, but all the way to the southwestern part of the country to Arizona. I'm visitng my E-wife Jenn ;-) , which will rock. We started off in chat with an animosity but now are in the best friends category. Shes a great woman and will be the break I need from the midwest. I realise as the days go by, my heart longs for New York again. I need to be somewhere where I can pursue the arts and feel totally free to be myself without a care, and perhaps find love along the way. I doubt it, cynic that I am, but who knows eh? I've been hitting up gay.com chat again, but not the usual rooms where its all sex talk, hook ups and the like. I go to Rochester room because I've made a few friends on there who, when not hitting on me, can be quite pleasant to talk with, but my new hang out is the Brooklyn room. Last night I sat on there for like 3 hours while studying and just bullshitting with a couple of people. It's very different out there and I actually felt that I fit in, even though I'm in this small town in the midwest and they're over in the city.
Which brings me to today and hopes for more entries. I studied all morning, saw Piano Ensembles and then this evening went to the production of "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told." WOW....All I gotta say. It was a gay themed play, with the first act about the creation portion of the bible, only with a gay and lesbian couple. The second act was those characters brought into the 21st century NYC and I was really moved by it. Side note: Kudos to the first WSU gay kissing on the stage :P LOL. But really, it was an awesome show and emotional. You could tell the actors really got into it and did a fantastic job. It was a nice change to see two men being emotional and close at the end of a show instead of a hetero couple. Not that I have anything wrong with hets, I mean fuck its 90% of the world heh But I can't explain it, It made me feel good and proud of who I am. And now I think I need bed so I can get up early and finish my homework. Everyone, I'm sorry I haven't been on the site in so long and missed all your entries. Since I IM with you lot anyways, I found out everything basically that you told me so I don't feel too out of it. Sorry to have writted a novel as well heh. More posts to follow.
Gute Nacht